Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
This one pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo is comfort food with a bright, zesty twist. Easy to make, packed with flavour and perfect for any night of the week.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- 1x Large Deep Pan or Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Plate and Foil (to keep chicken warm)
- Jug (for stock)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2x 9oz/250g Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder (or more garlic powder)
- Olive Oil, as needed
Lemon Orzo
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 Leek, trimmed and finely diced (see notes)
- 1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
- 2 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves, finely diced (or sub 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 Lemons, 1 zested and halved, the other sliced into 4 wedges to serve
- 2 cups / 400g Uncooked Orzo
- 4 cups / 1 litre Chicken Stock
- 1 cup / 240ml Heavy/Double Cream, leave at room temp
- 1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
To serve (optional)
- 1lb / 500g Asparagus, woody stalks removed
- finely diced Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized cutlets. Coat in salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Add around 1 tbsp olive oil to a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and fry both sides for 3-4 minutes until golden and just about cooked through the centre. Remove and add to a side plate. Fry asparagus (if using) for a few mins with a good pinch of salt & pepper until they begin to soften. Add to the plate with the chicken and cover in foil to keep warm.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt 1 tbsp butter. Add the leek and fry until it softens and starts turning golden, then add in the garlic, thyme & lemon zest and fry for another minute or so. Stir in the orzo, then pour in chicken stock and the juice of half the lemon. Give it a stir, then stir in the cream and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Give everything a stir, then bring it to a simmer. Cook the orzo, stirring frequently, until it's al dente and the sauce has thickened to a risotto-style consistency. Stir in the parmesan, then stir in 1 more tbsp butter until it melts and blends into the sauce.
- Stir in the resting juices from the chicken, then slice it into thin strips. Taste-test the orzo and adjust with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if desired. If it overthickens, just stir in a splash more stock or hot water to thin it out as needed.
- Serve individual portions with sliced chicken on top, alongside asparagus, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a lemon wedge each (if you want it more lemony).
Video
Notes
a) Leek - Ensure you trim off the dark green leaves (you can save these for stocks or soups; they're too tough to eat normally). Also, make sure you rinse the leek in cold water to remove any hidden dirt. If you don't have a leek, you can sub 2 large shallots or 1 medium white onion.
b) Cream - Important that your cream is at room temp to reduce the chances of it curdling when it hits the hot stock. Also, just make sure you're definitely using heavy (US) or double (UK) cream. Anything thinner (i.e. half and half or milk) will likely curdle due to the acidity of the lemon.
c) Lemon - I find the zest of a whole lemon and the juice of half works perfectly, so long as you serve with a good squeeze over the top too. You can easily increase the amount of lemon in the orzo itself if you wish.
d) One Pot - If you'd prefer, you can cook the chicken alongside the orzo. This will leave you with hotter chicken when serving. If you'd prefer to do it all in the same pot, just follow the recipe as instructed.
e) Make Ahead - Best made fresh, but you can make the orzo ahead of time, then warm over low heat in a pan with a splash of milk or stock to loosen up the sauce. Fry chicken/asparagus as you reheat orzo.
f) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 without asparagus.
Nutrition
Calories: 864kcal | Carbohydrates: 87.1g | Protein: 40.88g | Fat: 40.1g | Saturated Fat: 20.751g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.061g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12.612g | Trans Fat: 0.353g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 841mg | Fiber: 11.6g | Sugar: 2.85g | Vitamin A: 1767IU | Vitamin C: 8.5mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2.07mg